daisy chain
by Pasticcino
Summary: Human AU. Fluff.


The daisies blow in the wind for what seems like miles, a dark brown head of hair bobs along the fields, clumsily making his way through grass that's almost as tall as he is. He was supposed to be watching his baby brother, but that pretty girl from the village had come over and he couldn't take his eyes away from green, green eyes. They were nothing like the green of this grass, but like emeralds, jewels. He had blushed as he kissed her hand; she was nearly a foot taller than him, a few grades ahead. He scowled when her father called her away, conversations with her always felt so short. Her red dress had blown in the wind, Lovino trying desperately not to look as a particularly strong gust blew it almost all the way up.

But he wasn't staring at that beautiful face now-or anything else of hers- no, he was climbing through weeds to find his stupid little baby brother who had decided to wander off for whatever reason and make his life miserable. He thought about just leaving him to the elements, he was weak, the Romans had done it after all, and Feliciano was just the kind of baby they would have done it to. Of course, he wasn't a baby anymore, he was nearly ten! Only three years younger, but at that age, it seemed like centuries were between them. As he walked further, his heart started to race. What if Feliciano really had gone missing, what if he was hurt or something worse, or-

Lovino sucked in his breath, ready to call out his name for the hundredth time, along with a few choice words, when he spotted him. That head of auburn hair shining in the sun was hallowed by a chain of daises that he'd tied together, a giggle carried over by a pleasant breeze. He was sitting near a blackberry patch, hands and clothes all stained by the berries juices, excited words flowing from his mouth as he talked to a doll with yellow yarn hair. That damn doll. The older boy stomped over, yanking the doll away by its blue hemmed skirt.

"What the hell! I've told you a million times you can't just walk off like that! Nonno will have my head if you end up disappearing! And stop talking to this thing! It's for girls! You're too old for his shit!" Lovino threw the doll in the brambles, grabbing the daisy chain and tossing it on the ground, stomping it with his foot. "You need to start acting like a man, dammit! Just stop-"

Feliciano had burst into tears, grabbing the broken flowers in his small hand and bringing them to his chest. "F-Fratello, don't y-yell… I just wanted s-some berries and I e-even picked some for you a-and-" His words turned into a sobbing mess as he grabbed the small basket of berries and pushed them in Lovino's direction.

Why did he even have a basket? Lovino felt his face redden as he realized this is what they had gone out for. Why had he gotten so freaked out about it? He was such an idiot… Of course Feliciano would have been here. "D-Don't cry, idiota. I was just worried!" He shoved a berry in his mouth as he plopped on the ground, narrowing his eyes over at the younger man.

"You were worried about me?" His face brightened at that as he grabbed another berry for himself, wiping his hand on his pants.

"Not about you! A-About you picking the berries wrong or something… And stop ruining your clothes! You know we don't have the money to replace them!"

Feliciano just smiled at his brother's concern, before looking down at his broken daisies again and pouting. "Y-You're so mean, Lovi…"

"I'm not-" He frowned at the dejected look on Feliciano's face, it looked so wrong, his brother was supposed to be all smiles and annoying girly giggles. "It just looked dumb, people would laugh at how bad it was. I could make a better one with my eyes closed…" Lovino crawled over to a circle of the small flowers, plucking a handful lightly. "I'll make one that's not embarrassing as all hell."

"Oh really? Grazie, grazie!" He crawled over quickly, trying to hug onto Lovino, but was pushed harshly back.

"You'll crush them! Just keep picking berries, your clothes are probably already ruined anyway."

"Mmm…" Feliciano didn't move though, instead watching his brother clumsily tie the daisies together, his tongue pushed out in concentration, brows furrowed. It looked awful, petals coming off of half them, the chain completely lopsided, but as his brother got near the end, tying up the final flower, he couldn't help but think it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Lovino bit his lip as he shoved the final product into Feliciano's hands, he wasn't blind, he knew it was bad. Worse even than the younger man's crushed chain of flowers. He almost grabbed the thing back, ready to tear it up in frustration until he saw the look of utter joy and wonder on Feliciano's face as he put it on his head.

"I'll never take it off! Never ever!"

"Tch. The flowers will die. Then what?"

"They won't die! They'll get water when I shower, and sun when I go to school! I'll take care of them…"

Lovino snorted, deciding not to explain that wasn't how it worked. Not when he'd finally made his brother smile like that… "Weren't you gonna pick more berries?"

"The basket's full though…"

"Oh." So it was. Had he really talked to Isabella that long? He felt a small rush of guilt, he'd promised to spend the afternoon with him and now it was almost dusk. "I'll read a story to you or something, come on, it's gonna get dark." He grabbed the basket, pushing himself up and starting to walk away, stopping when he didn't hear the sound of small feet pattering behind him. Feliciano was staring at the brambles, lip jutted out and eyes watering. "Christ, what is it_ now_?"

"Maria…"

"Who the fuck is-" Right. That damn doll. He sighed, placing the basket on the ground and rolling up his sleeves. "Wait here." There was a small opening into the blackberry bushes, getting on his knees again he carefully crawled through, hoping the doll had fallen into the opening in the middle. No such luck though. He spotted that blonde hair falling down a bramble, with no opening for his arm. He couldn't go back without it though, so he shoved his hand into the thorns, pulling the thing down and biting hard on his lip as he felt the deep scratches being torn into soft skin. He wanted to burn the damn thing, but that would defeat the point of going to get it. So he shoved it into his back pocket, climbing down again and back out the hole, dirt burning the open skin as he dragged himself out the opening.

"_Here._" He threw the dumb thing into Feliciano's open arms, quickly trying to pull down his sleeves and hide the damage.

"You're hurt…"

"It's just some scratches, I'm fine."

"But it looks really painful…" Feliciano ran over, kissing Lovino's arm lightly and hugging onto him. "I'll clean it up when we get home… You're so brave for rescuing her…"

Lovino was about to yell that he was the one that threw the damn thing in there in the first place, but Feliciano seemed to have completely forgotten that part and he wasn't about to make him think he _wasn't_ a hero. So instead he just grabbed the basket again, Feliciano's soft hand grasping his as they made their way down the hill and towards the sweet smell of dinner that would be filling their little house in the center of the village.


End file.
